researching diy cultures (workshop)

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Researching DIY Cultures: Towards a situated ethical practice
11am-1pm, Saturday 8 September 2012
Northumbria University (part of Gender & Subcultures symposium - see attached for more info on this)
Facilitated by Dr. Julia Downes (Durham University)

This is a one-off workshop that focuses on the ethics and dilemmas of doing research in radical DIY cultures. Academic research on DIY feminist cultural activism has increased over the past 20 years. Fanzines (Piano 2002; Schilt & Zobl 2008), music cultures (Taylor 2008; Keenan 2008; Giffort 2011; Downes 2012), films (Kearney 2006), grassroots sports (Finlay 2010), civic spaces (Enke 2007), cyberspace (Mazzarella 2005), and culture jamming (Stasko 2008) have all become popular arenas in which to theorise the construction of feminisms, genders, sexualities, race, ethnicity and class in culture and society. However relatively little methodological and ethical guidance has been published to help researchers at all levels (including undergraduate, postgraduate, early career and established academics) to negotiate the difficulties and dilemmas that confront those doing critical research within these cultures.
This workshop is for activists, academics and activist-academics to discuss their experiences of being involved in research on DIY cultures that they do and do not see as a place of personal belonging. Discussion of set readings, case studies and personal experiences will lead to the collaborative development of a series of practical and constructive recommendations for future practice.

Topics to be discussed include:

· Using established friendships and close-knit networks

· Rethinking insider/outsider dilemmas

· Problems in accessing, working with and representing radical DIY cultures

· Challenges in being critical about DIY cultures

· Dealing with moments of personal and political crisis throughout the research process

Provisional reading list

Jodie Taylor (2011) The Intimate Insider: Negotiating the ethics of friendship when doing insider research. Qualitative Research, 11(3): 3-22

Kath Browne (2003) Negotiations and Fieldworkings: Friendship and Feminist Research. Acme: An International E-journal for Critical Geographies, 2(2): 132-46

Jo Freeman (1972) The Tyranny of Structurelessness. Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 17: 151-65

Keith Halfacree (2004) ‘I Could Only Do Wrong’: Academic Research and DiY Culture (Chapter 6) Duncan Fuller & Rob Kitchin. Radical Theory/Critical Praxis: Making a difference. Pg 68 – 78

How to book a place
There is a maximum of 25 participants
Please email with a brief description of your experience of doing/being involved in a research project on DIY cultures and what you will need to attend julia.downes@durham.ac.uk
Deadline 1 April 2012